The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-03-16
One Hundred Persons Reported Killed and
Wounded in a Rail Wreck.
Pile Of Wreckags 400 Fest Long and 100
Feet Wide.
The Horrible Scsne Near Boston on Branch
Of the Providence Road.
A Bridge Gives Way Under the Weight of
the Train-DetaiIs of the Ter
ribIe Affair.

Boston, March 1.-THE horrors attend
ing the terrible accident on the Central
Vermont Railroad at Hartford, VT, have
hardly had time to be forgotten when an
other accident somewhat similar, though,
it is TO be hoped, not 50 terrible in the loss
OF life, occurs, this time near Boston, the
scene being a new iron bridge on the Ded-
ham branch Of the Providence Railroad,
which is known among railroad men as
the Tin bridge" At first it was reported
that the bridge had given way, and that
the accident was due to this, but the true
details can not be ascertained. The facts,
as far as known at the present time,
are as follows: As the Dedham
branch train, which leaves Dedham at
Z :05, and which arrives in Boston at 40,
reached this bridge the rear cars were in
some way thrown from the track and piled
promiscuously down the embankment,
which at this point is Thirty or thirty-6ve
feet high. The bridge crosses the marsh
which lies between Forest Hill and Roslyn-
dale, and is approached on either side by
embankments which were filled in when
the road was constructed. The train is one
of the largest and heaviest on the morning
list. This morning, as usual, the train was
heavily loaded, and the last three cars, the
ones that left the track, were filed with
passengers who had taken the train at Ded-
ham and the stations between there and
Forest Hill.
As soon as the accident occurred, word
was sent to the nearest station, and from
there the Superintendent was notified by
telegraph, and messengers summoning
surgical assistance were sent out on horse
back. Surgeons were at once in attend
ance, and the injured passengers received
prompt attention. In the meantime a
force of men was set to work to relieve
those who we're pinned under the wreck,
49, L., -
once sent to the scene. One hundred aud
fifty mattresses were obtained at the City
Hospital and sent to the scene of the acci-
dent by special tram, which also carried a
large number of surgeons, together with
friends of the passengers.
A gentleman who left the scene at 9
o'clock said that when he left some twenty
bodies had been taken from the ruins, and
that two of the persons who were injured
had been removed to the City Hospital and
died soon after reaching there from the eff.
feet of their injuries. The number of
persons injured, he says, was very large.
WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT.
The bridge where the accident occurred
was one over South street, and the gentle
man says the accident was due to the CIV
ing way of the structure under the weight
of the train, owing, doubtless, to some hid
den fault in the construction or the ma
terial used. The news spread like wildfre
and people throng ged to the scene by thou
sands. In short time the place was
crowded with people.
An inspection of the wreck reveals the
fact that the eight cars comprising the train
are jumbled into a complete wreck, not
one of the coaches escaping almost perfect
demolition. From the location of the
wrecked cars it would seem that the first
three cars passed over the bridge safely.
The structure evidently gave away when
the fourth car was passing over
it. The five rear cars went through
TO the roadway, landing in a mass
of splinters in the street. The strain
of the five falling cars pulled the
three coaches in advance from the rail.
They remained on top of the enbankment,
but were pulled off their trucks and the
floor of each was forced nearly to the roof
while the seats were jumbled together in
great confusion. The end of the second
coach was q mass of splinters, caused by
the car ahead grinding against it when the
others went down the enbankment. The
third coach was hattered to the ground as
il it had fallen on its trucks from a great
hight, although it remained on the edge of
the embankment. The roof of the fourth
car also renamed on the embankment,
having evidently been showed clean from
its fastenings where the coach went through.
The next four cars went down in heap
the smoker, which was on the rear of the
train, falling in the midst of the coaches,
and being actually ground into small splint-
ers. The inmates of the smoker were all
either killed or injured
NOT ONE ESCAPING WITHOUT INJURY
clear across the roadway, landing against q
stone wall that bounded large field at the
foot of hill. AS the cars lie in their
present location, they present picture of
such absolute demolition that il seems re-
markable that any person in them escaped
alive. Cushions from the seats are scat
tered over the roadway and into the ad-
iacent pasture, while car-wheels and trucks
are distributed in all directions. In the
mass of splinters in the roadway are pools
of blood and occasionally q portion
of a body can be seen, although such
connected portions of human remains
as are found are hurried away to the
morgue. Still there are pieces of flesh to
be seen, sometimes fastened between tim
bers, as if actually gouged from some
victim.
Conductor Tilden was in the third car,
which remained on top of the embank-
ment, and on the ground directly under
meath where he was standing when killed
is pool of blood, while half of the debris
of the coach is spattered with blood. Un-
derneath the coach were picked up the
breast and lungs of a human being, posi-
bly, portion of the conductors body.
That the horrors of fire were not added
TO the terrible disaster was due to the
promptness with which relief was sent.
The chemical engine from Roslyndale was
at the scene within twenty minutes after
the wreck occurred, brought by letter
carrier, who gave an alarm of fire upon oo-
serving flames issuing from the debris.
The flames were soon extinguished. and
the fremen then did excellent work in res
cuiDg the injured. The stoves in all the
cars were securely fastened to the floors by
iron bolts and the doors of the stoves ware
locked. In only one car did the stoves up
set. although in one instance a stove was
smashed clear through the roof of the car
in which ii had been.
SCENES AT THE WRECK.
The news of the disaster spread through
The city, and in fact through all this sec.